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Hymn of the Men Underground 127that one can love humanity without God. Well, only a snivelingidiot can maintain that. I can’t understand it. Life’s easy forRakitin – ‘You’d better think about the extension of civic rights,’he says, ‘or even of keeping down the price of meat. You will showyour love for humanity more simply and directly by that than byphilosophy.’ I answered him, ‘Well, but you without a God, aremore likely to raise the price of meat if it suits you and make aruble on every kopeck.’ He lost his temper. But after all, what isgoodness? Answer me that, Alexey. Goodness is one thing withme and another with a Chinaman, so it’s a relative thing. Or isn’tit? Is it not relative? A treacherous question! You won’t laugh ifI tell you it’s kept me awake two nights. I only wonder now howpeople can live and think nothing about it. Vanity! Ivan has noGod. He has an idea.”